Traffic signal indicating device



Sept. 22, 1936. c. c. FOSTER TRAFFIC SIGNAL INDIGATING DEVICE Filed July1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6217'0Z Z 6269M ATTO R N EY 'VlTNESS Sept. 22,1936. C c FOSTER 2,054,974

TRAFFIC SIGNAL INDIGATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1, 1935\NVENTOR armZl Esier ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented Sept. 22, 1936 2,054,974

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,054,974 TRAFFIC SIGNAL INDICATIN G DEVICECarroll 0. Foster, Astoria, N. Y. Application July 1, 1935, Serial No.29,403 2 Claims. 161-15) My invention relates to indicating devices forFigure 8 is a view in section taken on the line use on automobiles toindicate to the driver the 88 of Figure 7 looking in the directionindicated exact condition of the lights of a trafiic signalling by thearrows and drawn to a further enlarged system. scale and The primaryobject of my invention, generally Figure 9 is a detailed sectional viewtaken on 5. tated, i to provide for indicating on the inthe line 9-9 ofFigure 8 looking in the direction panel of an automobile, the colors ofof the arrows readily attachable to the instrument panel of an screws 7,passing through said panel and flange 3. automobile and operative forindicating the cycle Within the casing I and spaced from the glass ofchanges of a trafiic signalling system of (life 2 is a circular dialplate 8 having delineated ferently colored lights in colorscorresponding to thereon, concentrically thereof three circular changesof such signal lights in corresponding of. The shaft [2 is rotatablymounted intermecolor and timing on a street extending in one diate itsends in a bracket 13, suitably secured to 25 direction and also on across street so that the opthe dial plate 8, and at its forward end in arela erator of the automobile, when turning into said tively shortersleeve I .4 having a hearing at its cross street, may drive by saiddevice with the front end in said plate and rotatable on said shaft.lights of said cross street. An indicator hand I5 is fixed intermediateits Other and subordinate objects will appear and ends on the shaft l2in front of the dial plate 8 30 the nature of my improvements will bereadily so that its opposite ends overlie the larger band panyingdrawings. front of said dial plate 8, said hand l6 having a In saiddrawings: long arm l1 overlying the intermediate band ID Figure 1 is afra mentary view of a portion of and a short arm l8 overlying thesmaller band the instrument panel of an automobile having ll. myinvention attached thereto. The shaft l2 and sleeve M are rotated, in aFigure 2 is a view in front elevation of a preclockwise direction,independently, by means ferred embodiment of my invention. of a motor l9mounted in the casing 5. Pref- 40 Figure 3 is a view in verticaltransverse secerably the motor H! has the form ofan ordinary tion, partsshown in elevation, taken on the clock mechanism rotating a drive shaft20 in a line 3 3 of Figure 2 and drawn to an enlarged counter-clockwisedirection as viewed from the scale. front of the device. The shaft 20 Imay be Figure 4 is a View in 560131011 taken n e l ne mounted in anysuitable manner in 44 of Figure 3 looking in the direction indiand 5,and is operatively connected to the shaft cated by the arrow. l2 andsleeve M as follows. A pair of gears Figure 5 is a detailed sectionalview taken on 21 and 22, respectively, fast on the shaft 20 the line5-5.0f Figure 3. mesh with a pair of gears 23 and 24 freely and Figure 6is a view in front elevation of a modislidably mounted on the sleeve 14and shaft I2 50 fied form of my invention. respectively. The gears 23and 24 are each pro- Figure '7 is a view in vertical transverse secvidedwith a clutch face 25 and 26 for ention, partly in elevation, taken onthe line '!'l gagement, on the one hand, with a clutch face of Figure 6looking in the direction indicated by 21 on a beveled gear 28 fastonsaid sleeve I4 the arrows and d awn to an en arged scale, an on h oher hand, for enga ement with a 5 than the green one, the

shorter arm ments in the bands l8 and II are also arranged 2 clutch face29 formed on a beveled gear 38 fast on the shaft I4. Suitably arrangedsprings 3| and 32 urge the gears 23 and 24 into clutching engagementwith the gears 28 and 38. A pair of setting shafts 33 and 34 are mountedin the casing for manually setting the hands |5 and shafts 33 and 34 aremounted at right angles to the shaft |2 and sleeve l4 for endwisemovement in fixed brackets, one of which is shown at 35, the outer endsof said shafts projecting outside said casing I. Fast on the inner endof each setting shaft 33 and 34 is a beveled gear, one of which is shownat 35 in Figure 4, for engagement in the case of one shaft with thebeveled gear 28 and in the other case with the knob 31 is provided onthe outer end of each setting shaft 33 and 34 for manual manipulationthereof. Suitably arranged springs, one of which is shown at 38, urgesaid setting shafts in a direction to disengage the beveled gears 35with their related beveled gears 28 and 33. The arrangement of theclutch faces 25, 2B, 21, and 29 aresuch that when the setting shafts 33and 34 are rotated to set the hands l5 and "5' forward, the gears 23 and24 are cammed, against the urge of the springs 3| and 32 out ofclutching positions relative to the gears 28 and 38. The foregoingoperating connections between the motor H! and the hands l5 and I6 arearranged and constructed to effect a complete rotation of said hands incorrespondingly timed relation to the timing of a complete cycle ofchanges of the signal lights. The circular band 9 is divided intosegments 39 corresponding in colors to the colors of the lights ofthesignal system and arranged so that one end of the hand l5, will traversethe segments 39 in the order corresponding to that of the light changes.

on a street extending in one direction, whereas, the other end of saidhand will traverse said segments in the order of changes of the lightsfor cross streets. Preferably the two ends of the hand l5 are coloreddistinctively the first mentioned end being, for instance, silver andthe other end black. 7

It may be stated that the hand I5 and band 9 are designed for use inconnection with signal systems in which the light flashes of the red andgreen lights are of equal duration. Hence the red and green segments areof equal extent.

By means of the described arrangement of parts the driver of anautomobile may, by a glance at one end of the arm |5 anticipate lightchanges, accurately, on the street on which he is driving and regulatehis speed accordingly. Also he may turn into an intersecting street anddrive by the other end of said hand with the lights on said intersectingstreet.

The smaller bands l8 and H and the hand It are for use in connectionwith signal systems in which the red and green lights are differentlytimed, as for instance the green light being on for a longer period thanthe red light for traffic going in one direction and the reverse beingthe case for..cross trafiic. Accordingly the larger band H] of the twocomprises. a green segment larger than the red segment, whereas, thesmaller band comprises a red segment larger amber segments being ofequal extent in each instance. The longer arm |1 traverses the largerband l9 and the IS, the smaller band The segto be traversed by theirrespective ends of the beveled gear 30. A

ferently timed hand |6 in the same order and timing as described withreference to the hand i5 and band 9.

In the modification shown in Figures 6 to 9, the device embodies a band48 and hand 4| identical with that previously described with referenceto the preferred form of substantially the same drive therefor includinga gear 42 fast on the drive shaft 25 and meshing with a gear 43 adaptedto be clutchedto a beveled gear 44 the latter operable by a settingshaft 45 all as previously described with reference to said preferredform.

In this form of the invention, the dial plate has delineated thereon twoopposed sets A and B of circular bands, the set A comprising two bands-46 and 41 concentrically arranged one within the other, and the set Bcomprises two bands 66 and 61 concentrically arranged one within theother. Cooperating with said sets of bands are indicator hands 48 and49, respectively, fast upon shafts 50 and 5|, respectively, journaled inthe dial plate and fixed brackets 52. The hand 48 comprises a long arm82 and a short arm 63, and the hand 49 comprises a long arm 64 and ashort arm 55, the longer arms for traversing the larger band and theshorter arms for traversing the smaller band. Said shafts 59 and 5| havemounted thereon slidable gears 53 and 54 tensioned by springs 55 toclutch beveled gears 55 and 51 fast on the shafts 50 and 5| in the samemanner as described with reference to the drive for the shaft l2 andsleeve M. The gears 53 and 54 are driven in a clockwise direction, asviewed from the front of the dial plate, by a large gear 58 fast on thedrive shaft 29 and meshing with the gear 54 and a train of idler gears59 between said gear 58 and the gear 53. As will be seen by reference toFigures '1 and 8 the gears 42 and 43 drive the hand 4| at one speed andthe gears 58 and 59 drive the hands 48 and 49 at a faster speed. Settingshafts 59 and 6| are provided for the hands 48 and 49, respectively, and'operatively related thereto in the manner described with reference tothe setting shafts 33 and 34. r Theset A of bands is designed for usewith signal systems in which the duration of the red and green lights iseither equal or unequal, but in which the cycle of changes ofdifferently timed than in the system for which the hand 4| and band 40are used. Accordingly the outer band set is divided into red and greensegments of equal extent and the inner band 41 into red and greensegments 'of unequal, extent. The other set B of bands 86 and 51 aredesigned for use in connection with signal systems in which, on the onehand, the green signal is longer than the red signal, the red signal islonger than Accordingly the outer band of this set is divided into redand green segments, the green being of a greater extent than the red,and the inner band 81 into red and green segments, the red being of*greater extent than the green. As in the case of the other set, thislast mentioned set is designed for use in connection with signal systemsin which the cycle of changes is difthan in the system with which thehand 4| and the band 4|) are designed to be used.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the .device of my invention isadapted for use in connection with various traffic signalling systems inwhich the period of duration of the 'red and green lights is eitherequal or unequal and in hand indicating said segments in correspondencewhich the cycle of signal changes in the systems with the lights fortraific travelling in one direcis differently timed. tion and the otherend thereof indicating said The foregoing constitutes a detaileddescripsegments in correspondence with the lights for tion of apreferred embodiment of my invention cross traific.

the scope of the appended claims, of said lights, an indicator handhaving its ends Wh t I claim i disposed over said segments, and meansfor mov- 1. An indicator for use with traflic signal sysing said handand said segments relatively to terns of differently colored lightssuccessively each other to indicate the en n 60101 displayed for fixedperiods and cgmprising a, COIIGSDOHGGDCB With the display Of said lightsperiods of display of said lights, one end of said AR OL C FOSTER.

